What to watch on New Year’s Eve 2026?
By ForGeeks
New Year’s holidays are a time of miracles, warm gatherings and cozy evenings with friends and loved ones. And a joint movie night is a great way to diversify the evenings and spend time together. Bright and cheerful stories about kindness, love, family values and incredible adventures will help you forget about worries and routine and believe in miracles again. And, even if you plan to spend time in the company of yourself, these movies will also help you create a festive atmosphere around you.
This selection includes time-honored masterpieces and modern works that will fit perfectly into the holiday weekend. It’s also a great time to revisit your favorite movies, shows, and cartoons.
Movies
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
The movie is about Charles Dickens who, in 1843, experiences financial difficulties and decides to write “A Christmas Carol.” In the process, he interacts with characters in his future work, including Ebenezer Scrooge. The movie shows how Dickens’ personal experiences and observations of life inspire the classic Christmas story.
Christmas for Two (2019)
Kate, who works as an elf in a Christmas store, is going through a personal crisis: a failed singing career, family problems, and her health after heart surgery. Her life changes after meeting the enigmatic Tom, who helps her redefine her values and find a path to healing. The movie combines elements of romance, drama and social issues.
This Wonderful Life (1947)
George Bailey, owner of a loan company in the town of Bedford Falls, finds himself on the verge of suicide due to accumulated problems. His guardian angel Clarence shows him a world George never existed in, helping him realize the value of life and loved ones. The movie emphasizes the importance of family values and kindness, becoming a classic Christmas movie.
Grinch the Christmas Stealer (2000)
Grinch, a green creature who hates Christmas, decides to ruin the holiday for the people of Cthograda. However, an encounter with a little girl, Cindy Lou, changes his mind. The film combines humor, visual style and the message that Christmas is not about presents, but about holiday spirit and unity.
Real Love (2003)
An anthology of nine intertwining stories about love on Christmas Eve. The movie depicts different aspects of human relationships, from romantic and familial to friendships and professional relationships. The film stars Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and other stars. The picture combines humor, drama and music, creating a multifaceted picture of human emotions against the background of the approaching magical holiday.
A Boy Named Christmas (2021)
Nicholas sets out to find an elven village to find his father and bring hope back to the people. Along the way he meets friends, encounters obstacles, and uncovers the mystery of Santa Claus’ origins. The movie combines elements of fantasy, adventure and family values to offer an alternative version of the origins of Christmas traditions.
Serials
Dash and Lily (2020)
American romantic comedy television series based on a series of teen novels by Rachel Cohn and David Levitan. The plot centers on two New York City teens, cynical Dash and romantic Lily, who begin a pen pal relationship through a red notebook, leaving it at different corners of the city. The series consists of 8 episodes of 25 minutes.
Christmas Carol (2019)
British-American mini-series, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ short story “A Christmas Carol in Prose”. The plot is about a miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by three spirits – past, present and future. This forces him to rethink his life and attitude to others. The series consists of 3 episodes of 43 minutes each.
Home for Christmas (2019)
Norwegian romance series that premiered on Netflix. The main character Johanna, tired of being asked about her love life, lies to her family that she has a boyfriend who she’s bringing back for Christmas. She has 24 days to find this very guy. The series consists of 6 episodes of 30 minutes each season.
Falcon Eye (2021)
Serial from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, set in New York City on Christmas Eve. Clint Barton (Falcon Eye) is forced to work alongside 22-year-old archer Kate Bishop to confront enemies from his past when he was Ronin. The series consists of six episodes, starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld.
The series is set to run for six episodes, with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld in the lead roles.
Santa Clauses (2022)
An American comedy mini-series, a continuation of the “Santa Claus” trilogy of films. The story is about Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen), who after 30 years as Santa Claus begins to look for a successor as his magic begins to fade and his family wants a normal life.
After 30 years as Santa Claus, he begins to look for a successor as his magic begins to fade and his family wants a normal life.
Cartoons
Grinch (2018)
The green, shaggy and very harmful creature Grinch, who lives with his dog Max, hates Christmas with all his soul. So he decides to ruin the holiday for the people of Kotograd. But a chance encounter with a kind girl, Cindy Lou, forces the Grinch to rethink his attitude to the holiday and to life in general.
Spider-Man: Across the Universe (2018)
A teenager Miles Morales gains superpowers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Meanwhile, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) battles the Kingpin, who uses a collider to communicate with parallel worlds. After Peter’s death, Miles learns that the collider has caused other versions of Spider-Man to enter his reality. Now Miles must team up with them to stop Fisk and save the universes.
The Nutcracker (1973)
A young girl finds an abandoned Nutcracker toy, which comes to life and reveals that it was an enchanted prince. The Mouse King appears and kidnaps the girl, but the Nutcracker gathers an army of Christmas tree toys and gives battle. The girl knocks down the villain’s crown with a wooden shoe – the enchantment is broken: The Nutcracker becomes a prince, the girl becomes a princess and they go to the magic kingdom.
In the finale, only the Christmas tree, the shoe and the wreckage of the Nutcracker remain in the empty hall – a sign of the miracle that has been accomplished.
The Secret Service of Santa Claus (2011)
On Christmas night, Santa’s family and the elves are delivering presents to children. When it turns out that one girl is left without a present, son Steve thinks it’s an acceptable loss. But son Arthur joins Santa and the little elf on a journey on an old sleigh to correct the mistake before dawn and keep the girl’s faith in Christmas alive.
Steve’s son Arthur sets out on a journey with Santa and the little elf to fix the mistake before dawn and keep the girl’s faith in Christmas alive.
Claus (2019)
Jasper, the spoiled son of a postal magnate, travels to the northern town of Smirensburg with the task of mailing 6,000 letters in a year. There he meets the reclusive Klaus, a master toy maker. They come to an agreement: Klaus gives toys to the children, and the children write letters. This revitalizes the town – children go to school, adults stop feuding.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Jack Skellington, lord of Halloween Town, is enchanted by Christmas. He decides to take the place of Santa Claus, which leads to amusing and unexpected consequences. A musical where the macabre aesthetic of Halloween is intertwined with the festive spirit of Christmas.
The Polar Express (2004)
On Christmas Eve, a boy named Chris, who has almost given up believing in Santa Claus, takes a magical train to the North Pole. Along the way he meets other children, overcomes trials and regains his faith in miracles. At the North Pole, Santa Claus gives Chris a magic bell that rings only for those who truly believe. In the morning, the boy finds the bell among his presents.
Christmas Story (2009)
Robert Zemeckis’ animated movie based on the story by Charles Dickens. Stingy Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. On Christmas night he is visited by three ghosts – past, present and future. After surviving the visions, Scrooge changes: he helps the family of an employee, comes to his nephew’s holiday party and becomes a kind man. Scrooge finds a new life full of mercy.
Classic Classics
Harry Potter
Little Harry Potter discovers that he is a wizard. And it is up to him to go to Hogwarts School of Wizardry. There he makes some loyal friends – Ron and Hermione. Together they are drawn into many adventures, learn the secrets of the past and have to confront the evil of Voldemort, the powerful dark wizard.
This exciting series of eight films will brighten up your home evenings, allowing you to dive into the world of magic and believe in magic and the power of love once again.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Four children – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – accidentally enter the magical land of Narnia through a closet. The once-blossoming land is now in perpetual winter because of the evil White Witch. The children begin to explore the world and meet its founder, the lion Aslan. It is to him that they are going to help rid the world of evil.
The movies are based on the books of the same name. There are only three movies, but even this small series is a great way to fill cozy home evenings with magic and fairy tales.
Golden Compass
Twelve-year-old Lyra Belacqua lives in a world where humans have dæmons (physical manifestations of the soul in the form of animals) and power is held by the Magisterium. When her friend is kidnapped, Lyra travels to the North, where she discovers sinister experiments on children and the mystery of “dust,” a mysterious substance linked to parallel worlds. With the help of armored bear Yorek Byrnison and aeronaut Lee Scoresby, she tries to uncover the conspiracy and rescue the abductees.
One Home
Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left alone in a huge house on Christmas Day: his family leaves for vacation in a hurry and forgets him. When two burglars decide to rob the mansion, Kevin turns the house into a fortress, setting up clever traps. Despite his fear and loneliness, he shows wit and bravery in defending his home. The comedy combines humor, Christmas atmosphere and a touching story about growing up.
BBC Sherlock
A modern retelling of the Sherlock Holmes stories: the brilliant detective and his partner Dr. John Watson investigate mysterious crimes in London. Sherlock uses deduction, technology and eccentric methods, while their adversary – the devious Jim Moriarty – stages elaborate games. The series brings the classics into the XXI century: instead of a phone – a smartphone, instead of a cab – a cab, but the essence remains the same – the battle of wits and evil. Key themes: friendship, the loneliness of genius, the moral boundaries of investigation.
But there’s also a special episode that preserves the Christmas atmosphere and the era of the classic Sherlock Holmes.
News
Prostokvashino
A little boy nicknamed Uncle Fyodor decides to live on his own and runs away to the countryside without his parents’ approval. On his way he meets Sharik the dog and Matroskin the cat and together they go to Prostokvashino. There the heroes find a dilapidated house and begin to equip it. They will have to get acquainted with the letter carrier Pechkin and a little galchonka, learn the wisdom of village life and learn how to earn their living.
Buratino
A lonely craftsman named Carlo dreams of having a son. One day he finds an ancient magic key that can fulfill any wish. With its help, a wooden boy appears from a log – the clever and cheerful Pinocchio. Papa Carlo loves his son fervently, but Pinocchio gradually realizes that he is not like everyone else. To prove to his father that he is a real son, the boy sets off on an adventure-filled journey.
Cheburashka 2
A year after meeting Gena, Cheburashka is growing up: he is learning to be independent, but sometimes he is a hooligan – he throws a pancake on the chandelier or breaks something. Gena tries to find a common language with him and bring him up properly.
